Warning signal



June 1935. A. F. GILLET 2,003,505

WARNING S IGNAL Filed Jan. 20, 1954 'Jnnentor A.F.Gillet Gttomeg Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES 2,003,505 WARNING SIGNAL Alexis F. Gillet, Omaha, Nehn', assignor to Jubi lee Manufacturing 00., Omaha, Nebr., a corporation of Nebraska Application January 20, 1934, Serial No. 707,607'.

'4 Claims.

This invention relates to sounding devices and more particularly to a device adapted to generate warning sounds for use in conjunction with automobile or vehicle engines.

It is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement of parts operated by vacuum created by the suction strokes of the pistons of an internal combustion engine, said arrangement to be efflciently operable at times when thepistons are reciprocating at high speed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a resilient spider bearing arranged to maintain all portions of the perimeter of a valve employed equidistant with respect to an air intake aperture of the horn for providing a device of better tonal qualities and assuring that warning signals will sound efliciently at high motor speeds and at times when the rings of the pistons thereof are loose or unduly Worn.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross section through a horn embodying the present invention, certain portions of the bell of the horn being broken away. 7

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1..

Figure 3 illustrates the alignment .of a valve with respect to a transversely disposed wall employed at the time the valve is open.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of a resilient spider member associated with the valve.

It will be understood that the term spider bearing. as herein used means a bearing having a plurality of points of suspension but not less than three thereof.

In the drawing the numeral I!) indicates generally a sounding device which includes a housing comprised of a lower half portion l l and an upper half portion I2.

The lower part I l of the housing is substantially cup-shaped in cross section having an out-turned flange l3 and an inturned flange M. A nut I5 is provided with an annular recess within which the flange I4 is received for attaching the parts together during manufacture, thereby providing an economical construction. The nut facilitates the communication of the horn with the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, it being understood that a suitable cut-off cock, not shown, is provided for use at times when it is desired to employ the device for the production of intermittent warning signals. Between the flanges l3 and It a detent-shelf I6 is provided for I purposes later'explained.

The upper half portion ll of the housing includes a flange i7 which-is peened over the. flange a iacture of the device and subsequent to the placement of certain later described parts therein.

A bell l8 may be employed for amplifying sounds produced by the device and is in communication with the interior of the housing of the lowerhalf portion during the manuthrough an opening I 9 formed through the upper half portion l2 of the housing. The bell l8 may be removably secured to the horn by means of a boss 23 and keepers 2|.

The nut I5 is provided with a threaded outlet port 22 for a communication with a source of suction. Prior to the peeping of the half portions of the housing together a transversely disposed rall 23, a valve 24 and a resilient spider member 25 are placed within the housing and arranged as shown in Figure 1.-

The wall 23 may include a plurality of plates 26, as shown in Figure 1, and shims 21, the latter preferably being formed of cardboard, fiber' or the like. f

Centrally of the wall 23 an air intake aperture 28 is provided for a chamber 29 formed by means of the wall 23 and the lower half portion H of the housing and it will be understood that communication with the chamber is only permitted through the air intake aperture 28 and the outlet port 22;

A rigid disc valve or closure member 24 of greater transverse area than the aperture 2 8 of the wall 23 is arranged to normally seal the aperture and is preferably placed upon the low pressure side of the wall 23. A pin 3| or any suitable means may be employed for associating the closure member 24 with the resilient spider member for maintaining the closure member in an initial yieldable position normally sealing the aperture.

As best shown in Figure 2, the spider member includes four arms 33 of cruciform shape in plan as illustrated.

Preferably four arms are employed although it has been found by experimentation that three arms are sufficient when used in conjunction with certain types of motors. The arms are similar and equi-distantly spaced with respect to each other and radially disposed from a common center and formed of resilient material.

As best shown in Figure 1, the outer ends of the arms rest upon the detent-shelf It for providing the said triadic bearing.

The normal position of the parts is as shown in Figure l, the central portion of the spider member being slightly bowed away from the wall 23 and it will be understood that the closure 5 member 24 reciprocates during a sounding of the device incident to suction applied to the chamber 28 and when the valve 24 moves away from the wall 23, as shown in Figure 3, the bearing maintains the alignment of the closure member 24 constant with respect to the wall 23, as shown in Figure 3, for causing air entering the chamber to be distributed in an equal volume about all portions of the closure member. Also it will be understood that when the valve 24 flutters or ing signals an equal volume of air contacts with all portions of the edge of the wall 23 adjacent the aperture 28 due to the fiat surface 34 of the valve 24 being maintained in alignment with the flat surface 35 of the wall 23 by the said bearing.

As heretofore practiced in the art helical springs have been employed for valve members riding in bearings and valves have been sus pended with a plurality of coiled springs. In the first mentioned prior construction the bearing upon becoming worn permits the valve to tilt with :respect to its seat and in the latter the springs necessarily being of unequal tension per- 30 'imit the same, whereby both said prior constructions arenotrconducive to the best results when used in conjunction with vacuum operated warning signals. 7

It is believed to be obvious thatsince the reisilientz-arms 33'of the present invention are integral and punched from aunitary piece of sheet metal in the' manufacture of the device that each arm provides an equal pressure with respect to itsmates and also'on'account of the detentg shelf- Hibeing punch pressed in an accurate die during the manufacture of the lower half portion of the housing, the said shelf is accurately formed with all portions thereof equidistanttfrom the wall 23, and as thus described 5i'it will be understood that no adjustments are required subsequent to assembling the parts of the device permanently within the housing.

:Having thus'described my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters 50 :Patent is:- I

1. A-sounding device comprising a housing arranged to provide a chamber having an outlet port for a communication with a source of suction, said chamber having a wall provided with 5 an air intake aperture, a' detent-shelf within thehousing, a reciprocable closure-member for the aperture having a surface-disposed in parreciprocates incident to the production of warnallelism with said wall, and a member provided with not less than three similar integral radially disposed resilient arms carrying the closure-member for maintaining the latter in an initial yieldable position normally sealing the aperture, the outer ends of said arms being substantially equi-distant with respect to each other and resting upon the shelf for providing a spider bearing, whereby when the closure member reciprocates during a sounding of the device incident to suction applied to the chamber the spider bearing maintains the said parallelism of the closure-member constant with respect to the wall.

2. A device of the character described comprising a housing arranged to provide a chamber adapted to have a communication with a source of suction and provided with a wall, said wall having a flat surface provided with a centrally disposed aperture for the entrance of air into the chamber, a reciprocable valve having ,a fiat surface normally disposed against the flat surface of the wall, and a resilient member having not less than three similar radially disposed yieldable arms for providing a spider bearing, means for securing said member to the valve for yieldably causing the latter to normally seal the aperture, said spider bearing arranged to maintain all portions of the perimeter of the valve equi-distant with respect to the aperture during a sounding of the device.

3. A device of the character described comprising a housing arranged to provide a chamber having an air intake aperture and an outlet port adapted to have a communication with a source of suction, a reciprocable closure member within the housing for normally sealing the aperture, and a resilient spider secured to the closure member for maintaining all portions of the perimeter of the latter equi-distant with respect to the aperture during a sounding of the device, said spider supporting said closure member constantly parallel to said aperture.

4. A device of the character described comprising a housing having a chamber arranged for a communication with a source of suction, said chamber having a wall provided with a central aperture for a communication with the atmosphere, a reciprooable closure member for normally sealing the aperture, and a resilient spider secured to the closure member for urging the closure member toward the aperture, and supporting said closure member in a position to close said aperture and constantly parallel thereto.

ALEXIS F. GILLET. 

